Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Here's a message from our very first Prime Miniter, Sir Edmund Barton.

This is his idea about immigrants and being an Australian in 1907.

My, how times have changed.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an Australian and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.

But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an Australian, and nothing but an Australian...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an Australian, but something else also, isn't an Australian at all.

We have room for but one flag, the Australian flag....

We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the Australian people.'

10 comments:

Rail Rager
said...

How times have changed with the rabid political correctness that is rammed down our throats these days. We have become a slave to the United Nations and are scrutinised accordingly. Edmund Barton's commonsense speech shows the Australian theme of a fair go for all, regardless of race or creed. Not such a bad thing I think>

Mike, I was wondering if you could send me an on-line link to that Australia Day message that you posted from Edmund Barton.

I interested to check the date he released that message on as he was our first PM and I'd assume he would have had many official functions on Jan 1 1901 when Australia came into existence, and so would have known of the significance of Federation Day.

This Email currently circulating around Australia is actually a rehash of the original document relating to an address made by President Roosevelt in America. Go to:http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_roosevelt_on_immigrants.htmRegardsVK4KEL Geoff

Geoffrey said.I not only agree with Geoff and jonathon, but Barton wasn't even prime minister in 1907, resigning in 1903. And as for equality.He said the following:

"I do not think that the doctrine of the equality of man was really ever intended to include racial equality. There is no racial equality. There is that basic inequality. These races are, in comparison with white races… Unequal and inferior." (Barton, Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates, 26 September 1901, p.5233)

A real Australian would know that this can’t be Edmund Barton’s Speech. Edmund Barton wouldn’t have made the speech in 1907 because he wasn't PM in 1907, a real Aussie would know Alfred Deaken was. Barton was on the High Court in 1907 so he would not be making political speeches as he would sacked for it. The speech states "We have room for but one flag, the Australian flag" . So which Australian flag was he talking about. It wasn't until after WW2 that the current Australian flag was made the official Aussie official flag. At official functions such as the opening of Federal Parliament in Melbourne in 1901 and the farewelling of soldiers in WW1 and WW2 the Union Jack was used. (by the end of the pacific war the Australian flag was being used occasionally by troops but not officially). Even when parliament house opened in 1927 no Australian flags were on display the only flag to be seen was the Union Jack (even the large crest over the speakers chair in the House of Representatives is the British coat of arms, I was there yesterday). If an Australian flag was used at all it was usually red not blue and merely used as ensign of the public service not as a flag that represented the nation of Australia also each State had various flags. Edmund Barton of all people would have known that Australia had never been a "one a one flag nation" in 1907.

Also Barton would not say "its an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace" because he was in favour of excluding Aborigines from voting and also supported the white Australia policy.

Mark Twain said "Patriotism is the last refuge of liars and scoundrels" Be sure Mark Twian was referring to the sort of person who put together this fake speech. If you see him around be sure you don't buy a used car off him and tell him its un-Australian to be a lying, devious, arrogant prick that obviously knows nothing of Australia and should be deported to small island in the Pacific. In fact Teddy Roosevelt in 1907 originally made this speech before it was stolen by someone who didn’t have enough brains to write something for themselves.

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